Transference: Prologue Part 1

Kira remembered when she was a child. Her mother had had the most amazing smile and the best hugs. She remembered playing hide and seek in their small apartment and how even when she hid in the same spots over and over her mother would pretend to be confused as to where to find her. And then in glee Kira would jump out and her mother would act surprised and laugh and hug her close. She remembered her mother teaching her the letters of the alphabet, telling her that one day she would become an Ancestor and that the faster Kira learned, the harder she worked the sooner she would be chosen by the Council as well to join her mother when the time came.
Kira turned 5 years old and her mother had bought a small chocolate cake and some balloons. They had eaten the entire cake, chocolate smeared on both their faces and then lain stuffed and satiated bopping the balloon back and for forth at each other. Whenever one popped Kira would shriek with laughter and delight.
A week later her mother received a letter from the Council, saying that she had been chosen to become and Ancestor is she accepted. She had 48 hours to comply or the offer would be off the table. Kira spent the first day trying to bargain with her mother, with a 5 years old argument that it wasn’t fair, but when that hadn’t worked Kira’s tactics had changed to an angry refusal to acknowledge her mother’s existence.
Finally when the time came her mother had kissed her on head while Kira had pulled away and refused to look at her. She had been left with a care taker who would take care of her. After her mother left and didn’t come back Kira had thrown one tantrum after another and refused to even bother to remember her care takers name let alone acknowledge her existence more than necessary. In her mind this woman would never replace her mother no matter how hard she tried, and she did try. Her care taker went out her way to make sure Kira had everything she could want or need. The only thing that was lacking was discipline, which was exasperated by Kira’s hatred for this woman who she blamed for her mother’s disappearance.
One day the poor woman had had enough of the child’s insolence and dragged her screaming down a series of corridors. Kira had kicked, screamed and yelled horrible things in her face not caring how many people had seen or what they thought. And then they entered what Kira came to know as one of the Ancestors Chambers. And Kira had been hauled in front of her mothers Avatar, a glowing ghostly figure, and Kira too lack had punched her care taker in the stomach while her mother watched.
“Kira!” her mother said sharply.
Her care taker had limped to a corner with a bench carved into the wall and sunk down gasping.
“Mother?” Kira had asked hesitantly.
“I hope you are ashamed of yourself. Lisa has only been doing her best to take care of you now that I can’t and this is how you show her thanks!” Kira had never seen her mother glare at her that intensely before. Kira’s face turned red and see felt beyond ashamed and couldn’t stop the fat tears from rolling down her cheeks.
“I am sorry, mother,” Kira choked.
“I am thoroughly disappointed in you and I expect you to never hurt Lisa again,” her mother said scowling. “Do we understand each other?”
“Yes,” Kira said nodding vehemently.
“She has quite the strong arm,” said Lisa finally able to speak again.
“Is that so?” her mother said in reply. “Perhaps you should join the army and become a soldier then Kira.”
Kira sat still crying not sure if she was supposed to respond or not. She would be nice to Lisa even though she still didn’t like her but she wouldn’t let her mother down again. She would become a soldier, the best soldier so that she could be chosen and get away from her caretaker Lisa and be with her mother instead.
“Kira,” her mother said getting her attention again. Kira looked up face blotchy from crying. “Why don’t you get Lisa to bring you here once a week to visit me and you can tell me what you’ve been up to?”
“I can visit again?” Kira said surprised.
“Of course,” her mother said smiling.
Kira agreed and then they talked for a little bit the tears fading. When Lisa finally lead her back home Kira was quiet and appeared calm but on the inside her mind was racing. How did one become a soldier? She would become the best soldier ever! But who would she ask to train her. Not Lisa obviously, politeness would be as far as Kira would go towards her.
When Lisa told Kira it was bedtime she went without complaint or argument which hadn’t happened in the two weeks that Lisa had been taking care of her until now. She curled under the covers and dreamt and imagined what it would be like to be a soldier.